Daddy's Girls
by JaerWolfe
Summary: A fluff piece with James Vega and Rel from my renegade stories.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This takes place after the end of my Renegade series.**

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"See, you are smaller than my bicep." James said to the bundled giggling baby he was supporting in the cradle of his left hand while holding her up to the curled muscle of his right arm, her naked pink skin a contrast to his own tanned skin and the dark black of his tattoos. "We're gonna have to bulk you up, mija. Get you working out. Get some tone on you." He dropped the arm curl choosing to nudge her plump tummy and earning a reward of a gurgling laugh, her fists pummeling his hands. "See, that's good. Real good. Keep the thumb on the outside so you don't break it when you punch. You're a natural!"

An indignant squall demanded his attention from the other side of the room, demanding attention as blue eyes glared at him seeming eerily like her mother's except for the color. A color he'd been told would change.

He hadn't known that. That babies eyes could change colors. He hadn't known a lot of things about babies.

Like how they could scare him more than facing down a herd of brutes on Tuchanka had.

"Your mamma makes that very noise when I'm not paying her enough attention, too." James cooed at the baby laying in the crudely crafted cradle before bending down to scoop her up in his free hand. "Yeah, she kicks like that, too. You gonna be a mamma's girl, Amilia?"

Lacking free hands now, he used his nose instead, rubbing against her cheek and chin as she grabbed at his thick eyebrows. He was getting good at dodging those little pinching grips, he thought with a grin as he carried his girls to the lumpy bed that doubled currently as a chair anytime they needed to sit in the small hut.

"Naw. No mamma's girls in this house." James set first Amilia down and then Toni before laying on his side next to them, propped up on one elbow as he tickled first one and then the other. Identical faces round with fat grinned up at him with mouths gummy from spit. "Just Daddy's girls here, playin' with their main man."

Shit and whoever thought he'd ever say that? That these two beautiful little ladies would be a part of him and that he'd wake in cold shock in the middle of the night and have to go make sure they were okay because they were stuck in the ass end of nowhere, no rescue coming ever and there were so many ways they could get hurt, so many things that could kill them.

All he could say was it was a damn good thing that he got two perfect girls the first time out because there was no way in hell he was ever letting Rel go through childbirth again when they didn't even have powered lights. Shit, he couldn't even believe she'd offered to try for a boy the next time. Hell, he couldn't believe she'd even let him touch her again after pushing two screaming blood covered squirmy things out of her tender place.

Although he'd touched her very well last night, if he did say so himself, James thought, a cocky grin on his lips.

And if any guy ever touched his little girls he'd break every finger in their hands. And arms. Legs, too. Oh, and the ribs. Those were always a good way to teach a lingering lesson on what not to do. Like mess with his perfect little ladies.

Toni's face scrunched going all red and James' eyes flared in alarm as he quickly scooped her off the bed just in time for the cascade of poop that exploded from her cloth diaper to overflow on his hands as he quickly moved her to the cloth covered section of the table.

"Shit." He muttered shaking his head. "Mija, how can such a tiny body make such a mess in so little time?" He quickly stripped off the soiled diaper shoving it to the side as he used some of the rags…a couple made from one of his favorite shirts ever…to wipe at her.

Amilia began to make a fussy noise, not happy at being abandoned.

"Just a minute, babe, I gotta take care of this." James called to her while Toni made a giggling noise and sent more nasty smelling poop shooting out, splashing across his shirt. "Shit! Baby, you gotta stop doing that!"

Distressed and very vocal about the matter, Amilia's fussy noise began angry, indignant cries.

"Amilia…no baby, don't start rolling…shit, when did you learn to do that? Stop it!" Alarmed, he tried to wipe at Toni's plump bottom while watching Amilia to make sure she didn't get closer to the edge of the bed.

Toni wasn't quite done, this time urine dribbling down her legs and across his hands.

"Fu…screw this." James finally said with frustration as he managed to strip his shirt off with one hand, the other holding Toni down. He managed to wrap the already soiled material around her just as he heard a thump behind him followed by a startled and distressed scream from Amilia. "Dammit! Baby, I'm sorry!" he cradled the nasty smelling Toni to his naked chest and quickly moved to Amilia wincing at the state of his hands. The beet red of the infant's face had him tossing aside hygiene as he picked her up, cooing at her.

Amilia's fussiness was upsetting Toni now and her lower lip began to tremble.

"No, no, it's okay, babies. Really. We're gonna go get cleaned, I promise." He balanced Amilia on his chest with a bicep before snagging the makeshift diaper bag and quickly leaving the foul smelling room.

Jogging both against his chest he quickly moved to the communal showers, grateful to find them unoccupied as he turned on the small round basin that had been set up for bathing children. It had been sized for one at a time, but James didn't care, stopping the bottom as he cradled both girls in one arm, his other hand quickly testing the temperature of the water before setting them both in.

The surprise of the water against her skin startled Amilia into stopping her cries. After a moment she began to kick, the water splashing up about her making her shriek with delight. Toni wasn't so fond of the water smacking her in the face but her normal good humor returned as she grinned up at James cooing at him as he began scrubbing her body clean of fecal matter. A couple of rinses later and both babies were now cleaner than he was.

Satisfied, nodding to himself, James grinned down at his girls. "Now see, this marine can handle anything tossed at him, can't he?"

Amilia grinned up at her daddy and immediately filled the clean tub with runny green poop managing to get herself and her sister all foul again.

James muttered a couple of bad words in Spanish and started all over again.


	2. Chapter 2

Rel entered the small hut she was still surprised to affectionately call home and frowned at the quiet state. Since the two hellions had entered her world peace had been in short supply. Not that James had ever been a quiet soul, either, but she was adjusting…she'd even be honest and say she was enjoying…her new circumstances.

Rounding the corner to the smaller room offset from the larger kitchen area, she paused and leaned against the rough door frame, smiling.

Clad only in boxer briefs, James lay on his back on the bed, eyes blissfully closed, while two sleeping angels were cradled safely on his chest, one cupped by each hand. She knew he was awake because she could see his thumbs stroking the curved spines of their girls but he didn't open his eyes even as a sweet, gentle smile curled his lips letting her know he knew she was there.

"I spent thirty-six hours once on a survival training course where we had to find our own water and food and shelter and make our way back to base on our own, no compass, no meds, nothing. Just our hands and our wits." James murmured softly, his chest barely rising and falling as he spoke so as to not wake the children. "I got back, got cleared by the docs as sound and healthy and partied all night with a couple'o me compadres. Got maybe two hours of sleep before training began the next day and I tell you, chiflada, I was not nearly as tired then as I am now."

Rel arched an eyebrow at him. "You were alone with them for three hours, James."

"I'm pretty sure it was more than that." He said with utter seriousness. "A couple of years at least."

Laughing softly she entered the room picking first Amilia up and placing her gently in the cradle James had made for his girls before claiming Toni and curling her next to her twin's side. She paused, stroking first one sleeping baby's cheek and then the other, marveling at both, wondering how she'd ever thought her life complete without them, before settling a blanket over them and returning her attention to the mostly naked man on the bed.

His eyes were still closed and he hadn't moved since she'd put the children to bed. Rel took that as an invitation and climbed on the bed, crawling until her knees were near his thighs and then pausing only long enough to spread and straddle him, shifting and rubbing until she found the comfort spot where they fit together so sweetly.

James finally cracked his eyes open, grinning at her. "Hey, babe." His hands curved over her flank massaging and stroking, pulling her closer until she lay on top of him. "Things on the survey go okay? You were a bit later than expected." His thumb brushed over a taunt and swollen breast full of milk.

"Survey went fine. I stopped by Doctor Chakwas' for a quick consult, it took longer than I thought, sorry." Rel leaned into his touch, her eyes going dreamy with pleasure. "Chances are we'll have a working hydro-electric damn in the spring if all goes well with the plans. It'll give us a power source other than solar."

"Cool." James expression lightened. "Give us a couple'a years and we'll be building starships." The optimism in his voice had her smiling as she laid down on his chest, enjoying the long, hard feel of him under her. "I didn't know Chakwas knew anything about dams. Woman is scary smart. Not quite in your league, chiflada, don't get me wrong, but she's good."

Rel laughed, rubbing her aching breasts against him in a pleasing way as his hands found the edge of her shirt and slid under, seeking the warm smoothness of her back. "Did you and the girls have fun?"

"Oh, yeah." He infused sarcasm in the words but the grin on his lips called the tone a lie. "I swear they poop out more than they weigh on a daily basis, Rel. But they do it with these beautiful smiles and instead of wanting to scream at them you start telling 'em what good little girls they are. You make gorgeous babies, hon."

Another laugh breathed from her throat as his touch became more sure, more certain. "I had help." Clever fingers slid beneath the belt of her cargo pants and she sucked in a sharp, needy breath. "Very enthusiastic help, I might add."

James just grinned at her, a growly sound of supreme male satisfaction rumbling from his chest as he watched the dreamy look fade from her eyes to be replaced by one of immediate need. "Missed you, babe." He said just before her mouth curved down over his, her lips soft while sharp teeth nipped at him.

Toni began making a whimpering, unhappy sound.

James and Rel both turned their heads at the same time toward the cradle and the blue eyed baby avidly watching them. With a sigh, Rel sagged against James with disappointment even as his hands pulled out from under her clothes with the silent acknowledgement that their time was going to have to wait.

"She'll be hungry." James said unable to resist a final squeeze on Rel's firm cheek as she moved off him. "And once she's done it'll be Amilia's turn. That's how they roll."

Rel was already taking off her shirt since it was just them and began adjusting her bra as she scooped the baby up. Toni was making short panting noises, her mouth puckering excitedly as she grinned up at her mother, kicking with near frantic excitement.

"See that…kid knows what's comin'. Brilliant. Just like her momma." James had shifted to laying on his side watching Rel put the baby to her breast. "Though for what it's worth, I think Amilia's got her beat. Quiet, that one, but you gotta watch her every minute. She rolled off the bed today."

Rel frowned. "Never thought I'd be grateful the bed is less than a foot from the ground." Her eyes moved over the sleeping infant. "She looks okay. Can't believe I missed her first roll. I swear they just save their tricks so they can show you when I'm not around."

James grinned at that pushing several pillows against the wall before Rel could sit down with the nursing baby. "Yep. Couple'a Daddy's Girls and they know it."

The girls' mother favored him with a droll glance. "Chakwas says the next pair are boys. So maybe I'll get Momma's Boys."

Snorting, James shook his head. "What? Chakwas psychic now? No way I'm letting you go through that again. We got our angels. We're good."

Rel arched an eyebrow at him and waited.

All color drained from James face as he suddenly jerked and stared at her. "Chakwas don't know nothing about dams, does she?"

"Not a blessed thing." Rel agreed before wincing and shifting the small mouth sucking at her breast with the soft pad of her finger.

"How in hell'd that happen?" James demanded, his eyes wide.

Rel arched her eyebrow at him again, her features once more curved with dry humor.

"No…I mean, you're still breastfeeding. You said you can't get pregnant while you were breastfeeding. You said so and you're the smart one!" He pointed at her naked breast as if it were evidence on a witness stand.

"I asked Doctor Chakwas about that." Rel nodded. "Apparently I was misinformed. While the chances of getting pregnant while lactating are reduced for most women there is a small percentage who can get pregnant. I am one of them."

James sank back onto the mattress his hands wiping over his face. "Damn, chiflada, you've got to stop being such an overachiever."

Rel frowned slightly and studied the back of the hands hiding his face. "Are you okay with this, James?"

Brown eyes peeked out at her and she saw the edges of his grin. "We keep going like this we're gonna populate the whole place by ourselves, Rel." He said scooting until he was sitting next to her and she'd shifted to lean on him.

She snorted, her tension relaxing. "Not a chance. And what do you mean, I'm the smart one? You know I don't like you talking that way about yourself."

"Rel, ain't no amount of bitchin' on your part ever gonna make me as smart as you." James laughed at the old argument.

"I'm not smarter than you, I just know different things than you do and am more prone to telling people when they're wrong and I'm right."

"Amilia's fussin'. She'll be waking soon wantin' to eat." James glanced over at the crib. "Toni must be mostly done." He rubbed a thick finger over the fuzzy blond hair on the baby's head. "Another pair, hunh? Guess it's your turn to name 'em."

"Not for my family." Rel instantly denied. "I didn't like them very much. How about Kaidan and Vyktor?"

James looked at her. "Did you start hating your family before or after they named you?"

Rel slapped her palm against his chest with a sharp crack that startled Toni into momentarily pausing her sucking. "They were names of old boyfriends that I happened to remain friends with."

"Oh, hell, no." James said with feeling as he rubbed the red hand mark on his chest. "'Specially since the Major is someone you see on a daily basis."

Whimpering noises came from Amilia and James shifted Rel forward just enough that he could slide out from under her and retrieve the now awake baby.

"Grab a burp cloth, you can take Toni." Rel said pulling her off her breast. "Diaper, too. And wipe cloths."

James deftly switched babies with her, cradling Toni on his chest as he shifted positions and set her down in front of him, flat on the bed while Rel settled Amilia to her full breast. "I swear I just did this five minutes ago." He said as he began changing Toni's diaper.

"And you'll be doing it again in five minutes." Rel told him cheerfully. "In one end and out the other."

"I think it should be your turn." James complained with a good-natured grin.

"Sure…as soon as you start lactating and can take your turn breastfeeding." She retorted rubbing her foot along his leg in a show of affection to make sure there was no sting in the words.

James gaze dropped to her breasts. "Gotta say, that's one perk of you being pregnant I was going to miss after the girls got older. Not that you weren't fine before, Rel, but damn…"

She rolled her eyes and gave him a half hearted kick. "Ah, yes, the joys of having heavy, swollen breasts that leak when they get so full that it's a relief to have a greedy mouth sucking on them."

"Hey, you said you liked it when I did that." James countered and had the supreme pleasure of watching a rare blush flood her cheeks.

"You know what I mean." Rel said shaking her head at him, her mouth not quite containing the grin on her lips as he finished changing the diaper and once more settled next to her on the bed, Toni carefully on a shoulder having her back rubbed.

James wrapped an arm around Rel pulling her close enough that he could feel Amilia's hair brushing his chest. They were quiet a moment, just curled around each other, letting the peace of the moment flow over them until he suddenly gave Rel a fierce hug, pressing his lips against her hair.

"My girls." He said, his voice husky with emotion. "My girls."

Rel smiled and leaned closer, Amilia almost laying on both of them, Toni sleepily burping on his shoulder.

"Always."


End file.
